This application claims priority from International Application No. PCT/JP99/00362 filed Jan. 28, 1999 which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for placing and fixing conduits. For purposes of this disclosure, a conduit will be defined as any inlet, pipe, duct, or multi-purpose duct, whether above ground or underground such as Hume pipes, underground multi-purpose ducts, inlets that connect the Hume pipes or ducts, for water, sewage, fuel gases, or electric wiring on mountainsides of even a high mountain This invention can be used to install water pipes, sewerage pipes to a hotel that is built on a high mountain, a mountain cottage, a facility for weather observation and other buildings and facilities.
2. Prior Art
If a number of conduits are merely connected to each other and positioned or buried under mountainsides, possibly they would move downward, bend, or break, because of forces caused by the dead load, falling stones, rain, snow Thus, it is desirable that, to prevent those conditions from being generated, bases be located below the conduits, or bars or rails be located beside the conduits so that the conduits can be fixed by them and prevented from moving and sliding on the mountainsides. Also, conduits can be installed on the mountainsides over long distances.
The inventor considered that cables could be used to fix conduits on mountainsides. That is, he considered that cables would be useful to resist forces that cause conduits to slide on mountainsides, because the cables are made of materials that have a tensile force and strength that can resist the forces. The reason the inventor so considered this is that some cables that are commercially available have a tensile force and strength that is effective to such an extent that a great suspension bridge can be supported Another reason is that cables are flexible so that they can be easily wound around conduits that have curved surfaces and they can be easily wound around inlets that connect conduits to each other.
Even if conduits can be fixed by cables, the conduits cannot be securely fixed to mountainsides when the cables are not securely fixed to the mountainsides. Thus, the inventor studied anchors. As a result, he conceived this invention.
Thus, a first embodiment of this invention relates to a method for installing conduits on a mountain using cables, comprising the steps of making at least one cable cross over the ridge of the mountain, installing said at least one cable on a mountainside and another mountainside opposite it (xe2x80x9cthe opposite mountainsidexe2x80x9d) that is bounded by the ridge of the mountain from that mountainside by having the cable cross over the ridge, positioning the cable along both mountainsides, mooring (which may be accomplished directly or indirectly through one or more devices) conduits through which water, fuel gases, electric wring pass, to the longitudinal cable that is installed on one mountainside, and connecting the longitudinal cable that is installed on the opposite mountainside to a heavy object or a base point fixed to the mountain that acts as an anchor.
A second embodiment of this invention relates to a method for installing conduits on mountains using cables, comprising the steps of positioning at least one cable (xe2x80x9clongitudinal cablexe2x80x9d) on a mountainside along its slope, directly or indirectly mooring conduits through which water, fuel gases, electric wiring pass, to the longitudinal cable, and connecting one end of the longitudinal cable to a base point that is fixed to the ridge or the mountain top.
A third embodiment of this invention relates to a method for installing conduits on mountains using cables, comprising the steps of installing a cable for an anchor (xe2x80x9canchor cablexe2x80x9d) around and near the top of a mountain that is generally conical, connecting at least one cable (xe2x80x9cthe longitudinal cablexe2x80x9d) to the anchor cable, installing the longitudinal cable on the slope of the mountainside, and directly or indirectly mooring conduits through which water, fuel gases, electric wiring, pass, to the longitudinal cable.
The above description describing that the conduits are moored by the longitudinal cable indicates, for example, that the conduits can be moored to the longitudinal cable by a mooring cable.
Two or more longitudinal cables can be used. Also, at least one cable (xe2x80x9cthe lateral cablexe2x80x9d) can be used to connect the two or more longitudinal cables.
In that case, conduits may be directly moored by the two or more longitudinal cables and the at least one lateral cable. Also, the conduits may be indirectly moored to those cables by, for example, a mooring cable.
The vertical cable may branch.
In the first embodiment, conduits may be used as a heavy object to act as an anchor.
In the first embodiment of this invention, the anchor function that is needed to fix the conduits is achieved by connecting one of the longitudinal cables, which crosses over the ridge of the mountain to be longitudinally positioned on both mountainsides, to the conduits, and by connecting the other to the heavy object that acts as an anchor so that the conduits and the heavy object that acts an anchor may be arranged like a kayak This method allows the strength of the anchor to resist both the force that causes the conduits to move and the tensile force working against the cables. The strength of the anchor increases as the height of the mountain increases (or the length of the cables or the friction between the cable and the ground of the mountainside) and the weight of the heavy object (or an anchor) that is connected to the cable increases. Also, when the cable is connected to the base points fixed to the mountain instead of the heavy object that acts as an anchor, a similar strength for the anchor can be achieved.
The strength of the anchor of the second embodiment of this invention tends to be less than that of the first embodiment. Thus, when there is no need to use the relatively great strength of an anchor, the second embodiment is used. If the mountain is generally conical, the third embodiment can be used to achieve a relatively great strength for the anchor.
Also, the inventor considered that possibly the conduits could be bent or broken by a shock such as an earthquake at some places where the conduits were installed, even if the conduits were to be connected and installed according to the first, second, and third embodiments of this invention. Thus, the inventor considered that such an accident could be avoided if a base or a frame were to be used and if it were to be moored by a cable, when the conduits could not help being installed at a place where possibly an accident might occur because of a shock such as an earthquake, to bend or break the conduits.
Thus, a fourth embodiment of this invention relates to a method for installing conduits on a mountain using cables, comprising the steps of making at least one cable pass over the ridge of the mountain, installing said at least one cable on a mountainside and another mountainside opposite it (xe2x80x9copposite mountainsidexe2x80x9d) that is bounded by the ridge of the mountain from that mountainside by passing the cable over the ridge, positioning the cable along both mountainsides, directly or indirectly mooring a base, such as a base plate or a frame member to which right and left side plates are attached to the longitudinal cable that is positioned on one of the mountainsides, positioning on the base conduits through which water, fuel gases, electric wiring pass, fixing the conduits to the base or the side plates, and connecting the longitudinal cable that is installed on the opposite mountainside to a heavy object or a base point fixed to the mountain that acts as an anchor.
A fifth embodiment of this invention relates to a method for installing conduits on mountains using cables, comprising the steps of positioning at least one cable (xe2x80x9clongitudinal cablexe2x80x9d) on a mountainside along its slope, directly or indirectly mooring a base, such as a base plate or a frame member, to which right and left side plates are attached to the longitudinal cable, positioning on the base conduits) through which water, fuel gases, electric wring pass, fixing the conduits to the base or the side plates, and connecting one end of the longitudinal cable to a base point that is fixed to the ridge or the mountain top.
A sixth embodiment of this invention relates to a method for installing conduits on mountains using cables, comprising the steps of installing a cable for an anchor (xe2x80x9canchor cablexe2x80x9d) around and near the top of a mountain that is generally conical, connecting at least one cable (xe2x80x9clongitudinal cablexe2x80x9d) to the anchor cable, installing the longitudinal cable on a slope of a mountain, directly or indirectly mooring a base, such as a base plate or a frame member, to which right and left side plates are attached to the longitudinal cable, positioning on the base conduits, through which water, fuel gases, electric wiring pass, and fixing the conduits to the base or the side plates.
The base may be moored by one longitudinal cable. However, preferably one base is moored to two or more longitudinal cables, especially to two longitudinal cables.
Mooring the base to the longitudinal cable indirectly can be achieved by, for example, using a cable that is positioned at any angle (xe2x80x9clateral cablexe2x80x9d) relative to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal cable (e.g., 90 degrees), connecting the base to the lateral cable, and connecting the lateral cable to the longitudinal cable, thereby mooring the base to the longitudinal cable. In this case there is no limitation in the number of longitudinal cables that can be connected to the lateral cable. However, usually two longitudinal cables are used.
Two or more longitudinal cables can be used. Also, at least one additional lateral cable can be used to connect the longitudinal cables.
The longitudinal cable may branch.